


Rosemary & Cinnamon

by Issa_fangirl



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Bokuto Koutarou, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda, M/M, Mates, Mentioned Kageyama Tobio, Minor Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Mutual Pining, Nipple Play, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Omega Akaashi Keiji, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:28:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29791920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Issa_fangirl/pseuds/Issa_fangirl
Summary: Alphas and omegas aren't supposed to be best friends, but try telling Bokuto Koutarou and Akaashi Keiji that.Seriously though, someone should tell them.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 12
Kudos: 188





	Rosemary & Cinnamon

**Author's Note:**

> this is very self-indulgent and i'm so sorry for whatever this is

When Bokuto stepped out of his lecture, the last thing he expected was to be bombarded by his own scent. It was so disorientating that he nearly pulled a muscle from how fast his head snapped up. Nose in the air as he tried to sniff out why the heck he could scent himself on someone else. It was only when he recognized the subtle tones of rosemary under his overpowering scent of cinnamon that he relaxed. 

Akaashi. 

Bokuto's eyes scanned the crowd to confirm the scent and sure enough, his best friend stood nearby absorbed in his novel as he waited for Bokuto. The omega was practically swimming in the hoodie Bokuto had used at the gym earlier. Although Akaashi wasn't that much shorter than Bokuto, his frame was significantly smaller than the muscled alpha, not to mention that Bokuto mainly bought his hoodies oversized for optimal comfort. The sight of Akaashi covered in his scent, wearing one of his favorite items of clothing was so endearing to Bokuto and before he knew it he was smiling ear to ear. 

“Did you break into my apartment to steal my gross and sweaty hoodie, 'Kaashi?” Bokuto teased as he approached the omega. 

Akaashi didn't bother to look up, instead, he bookmarked his page, a soft smile forming on his lips, “You gave me a key, Bokuto-san.” 

“I didn’t think you would use it to steal my dirty laundry like some sort of laundry thief!” He was just teasing the younger, hoping to cause Akaashi’s cheeks to redden cutely. 

“You've never had a problem with me borrowing your clothes before, Bokuto-san.”

Truthfully, Bokuto should not have been as surprised when he had stepped out of his lecture. It was a common occurrence for Akaashi to be shrouded in his scent. Though it hadn’t happened recently, because Akaashi had been trying out scent blockers for the last few months (torturous months in Bokuto’s opinion) only to realize he hated them. Thank god he came to that conclusion before Bokuto stole all his scent blockers - which was a plan already in the works. 

He wasn’t kidding, Kuroo had blueprints. 

The thing is Akaashi has been borrowing Bokuto's clothes since he started at their university last year and he'd first realized that most people would stop hitting on him if he smelt so strongly of another alpha. Bokuto didn't mind, he had been privy to the way some alphas’ - and occasionally betas - would saunter up to Akaashi, flirt, and touch and make him increasingly more uncomfortable just because they thought they had a right to every unmated omega that caught their eye. Akaashi always turned them down, never bothered to give them the time of day, but after his rejections started to be met with aggression, Kuroo suggested that Akaashi should just mask his scent with Bokuto's to steer away from the unwanted attention. 

And Bokuto was more than willing to help Akaashi out. Some would even say he was overenthusiastically willing. It was just that Bokuto knew it wasn’t Akaashi’s fault that he just was  _ so _ pretty. Ethereally pretty. As Akaashi’s best friend it was only Bokuto’s duty to protect said prettiness from those who had less than pure intentions. Or any intentions really. So all in all Bokuto had no complaints about their arrangement. Not to mention it was the better alternative for Akaashi, he could avoid conflict, which Bokuto knew he hated, hopefully, Bokuto’s scent would bring him some comfort in his daily life. 

Akaashi often worried that he was imposing on Bokuto. He should have realized that Bokuto would be more than happy to help in whatever way he could. If that meant scent-marking Akaashi, it was a cross the alpha would just have to bear. Hopefully repeatedly. Maybe forever. 

Scent marking meant that Bokuto was allowed to be a lot more affectionate with Akaashi than he'd been before the arrangement. It also required more skin on skin contact, Bokuto would often brush their hands together when he walked or pull Akaashi on his lap to nuzzle the back of his neck. Standard friendship behavior. 

Akaashi didn’t necessarily return the touches for Bokuto’s scent to linger on him, but he soon realized that if he didn’t reciprocate the affection occasionally Bokuto would get emo. So sometimes Akaashi would flick underneath Bokuto's chin or tug on the alpha's earlobes to get his attention. If they were alone cuddling, he would run his fingers through Bokuto's hair or stroke them over his forearms when he wore a t-shirt. 

Bokuto's favorite is when Akaashi reaches over to fiddle with the alpha's fingers either absent-mindedly or to distract himself from whatever anxiety he was feeling. 

Bokuto loved how Akaashi’s scent would remain on his skin after. Akaashi’s rosemary scent was subtle on Bokuto’s skin because of the gentleness and sporadicity of his scent marking, not as permeating as his own cinnamon scent that engulfed Akaashi possessively. 

"You know I don't have a problem with it, just wondering why you didn't go for something clean," Bokuto giggled, pulling at the sleeve hoodie playfully. 

Akaashi shrugged, "I was running late and it was the first thing I saw." 

Bokuto only nodded with a smile, even though he knew that he had pushed the dirty hoodie to the bottom of his gym bag that he'd thrown into the back of his closet this morning. After all, who was he to question Akaashi Keiji?

  
  
  


People would often assume that Bokuto and Akaashi were dating. Not that Bokuto could blame them. It wasn't exactly taboo for alphas and omegas to be friends like it had been once upon a time, but it wasn't entirely common either. Generally, the only time you saw an alpha and omega alone together was because they were, well, _ together _ or mated to other people. It wasn’t rare that when Bokuto had to correct someone to say that  _ "No, he's not my omega" _ or  _ "I promise you I'm not a cheater, I am single" _ or  _ "Akaashi and I are just friends" _ , he was either greeted with looks of incredulity or complete and utter confusion. 

Which he understood. 

To be completely honest, Bokuto had been confused about it all for a while too. Because most of the time Akaashi smelt like  _ his,  _ and sometimes Akaashi would act like  _ his  _ so Bokuto's brain would try to tell him that Akaashi was  _ his,  _ but he wasn't, so the entire internal conversation usually just ended up giving Bokuto a headache and a heartache. He'd decided a while ago that it was better for his health not to think about it too much. He was happy to be whatever Akaashi needed him to be, the rest was trivial. 

But just because he came to that conclusion didn't mean everyone else had. Take Hinata for example, the newest edition to their friend group. Kuroo and Kenma had dealt with the ups and downs of the “Bokuto and Akaashi unconventional friendship” throughout high school and were desensitized to the strangeness of it all. Tsukishima, who had been Kuroo’s friend for years and had only joined their little squad when he started at their university this year, didn't give a flying pig's ass about it to begin with. And Yamaguchi, Tsukki's mate, was too nice to say anything about it. 

But when Kenma had introduced Hinata to their group, things changed. Because Hinata Shoyo, he was a different ball game. 

Unlike the rest of their friends, Hinata was _ going _ to comment about Bokuto and Akaashi. The short omega was completely unaccustomed to an unmated alpha and omega having the type of relationship that Bokuto and Akaashi did, and unlike the other first years, he wasn’t too disinterested or shy to say something about it. And out of context, Bokuto could see how Akaashi and himself could be perceived as one of those domesticated and overly affectionate couples that made everyone around them envious of their true love...or whatever, Bokuto wasn’t projecting or anything. 

Anyway, Hinata was convinced that it was his right of passage to point out what their other friends hadn’t, which was that  _ “Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san are clearly pining for each other.”  _ As in romantic, mutual, pining. The idea was laughable. So hilarious that it made Bokuto want to let out this specific type of laugh that required him to curl up in a ball and sob for days because it was just  _ that _ funny. 

Apparently, according to Hinata, their feelings were  _ “painstakingly obvious” _ . Kuroo once commented that it had to be obvious for Hinata to have noticed. Which was fair, because the short boy tended to be completely oblivious to most things. That particular knowledge terrified Bokuto. In fact, everything about Hinata’s hypothesis scared the shit out of Bokuto, down to his very core. But he brushed it off, acting as if it were a big joke and that it didn’t bother him that Hinata believed he liked Akaashi. For the most part, it was manageable. Hinata wasn’t cruel in his teasing, instead, it was quite evident that he just wanted the two of them to be happy. It was mostly a sweet sentiment that Hinata believed both Bokuto and Akaashi would be truly happy by being with each other romantically. 

Sometimes though, Hinata would give Bokuto these sly looks and winks that resembled typical Kuroo behavior a little too uncannily. Other times Bokuto would catch the short omega staring wistfully at him and Akaashi and it made something in Bokuto's chest burn. 

It didn’t help that Hinata would sometimes confront him about it. Not unkindly, mainly he could tell that the boy was simply curious. Hinata and Bokuto had grown close after all these months. Bokuto had taken the younger under his wing, acting as a mentor of sorts. That’s why he started to hate those confrontations because each time Bokuto assured Hinata that he didn’t have feelings for Akaashi it felt like he was lying, even though he wasn’t. It left Bokuto with all this misplaced guilt. Bokuto didn't know if he was more upset about lying to Hinata or about lying to himself but that train of thought made him nauseous. 

In times like this, however, Bokuto's guilt towards Hinata about possibly lying - even though he wasn’t - was nonexistent. 

"Please say it, senpai!" Hinata beamed at him from across the table. They were all sitting in the courtyard with Tsukki, Yamaguchi, and Kenma, waiting for Akaashi to get back with the food they’d ordered. Kuroo was meant to go with him but Akaashi waved off, saying Kuroo walked too slowly for him and took off before anyone could offer to help. 

Which had been the starting point to Bokuto’s demise. 

“Senpai was a low blow, Shrimpy,” Kuroo laughed obnoxiously, patting at Kenma’s hair lovingly. His mate paid him no mind. 

“You first years are gonna be the death of me,” Bokuto groaned, banging his head on the table in frustration. 

“Yamaguchi and I didn't even do anything,” Tsukki pointed out. Yamaguchi giggled and nodded in agreement. 

“Just admit that you checked Akaashi-san out when he walked away!” Hinata grinned.

“Why do you even care, Shoyo?” Kenma drawled without glancing up from his Gameboy. 

“Kenma-kun! Everyone knows how invested I am in Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san’s love story.”

“We don’t have a love story!” Bokuto protested. “Kaashi and I are just friends.”

“Yeah, and Hinata isn’t dying to get in that Kageyama guy's pants,” Tsukishima snorted and Kuroo burst into laughter, clutching at his stomach.

“Dude, what the hell!” Hinata screamed, jumping onto the bench, ready to pounce, face bright as his hair.

“Don’t call me dude.”

“It’s not like you were good at hiding it, Shoyo,” Kenma pointed out, swatting blindly at Kuroo to stop interfering with his hair but his mate dodged his attacks. 

“Hey! This isn’t about me!” Hinata cried, before turning an accusatory finger to Tsukki. “And don’t act all innocent when I know you made Tadashi-kun skip his lecture this morning because you were horny!”

“That’s not the only thing I made Tadashi do this morning,” Tsukishima smirked. 

“Nice!” Kuroo lifted his hand for a high five as Yamaguchi simultaneously cried out in embarrassment, “Tsukki!” 

“Stop antagonizing everyone,” Kenma mumbled to Kuroo.

“I didn’t do anything! Blame Bo, he’s the one who won’t admit to drooling over Akaashi’s ass.”

“Do you think talking to me about Keiji’s ass is going to help the situation?” Kenma rolled his eyes at his mate. 

“Kitten don’t be jealous, I check out your ass just as much as Bo does with Akaashi!”

“I do not check out Akaaahi’s ass,” Bokuto defended so stiffly that he knew how much of a lie it sounded like, not to mention the bright flush on his face because he just referred to _ Akaashi’s ass _ aloud, in public. Luckily no one was paying attention to him anymore, Yamaguchi was busy trying to stop his mate from killing Hinata and Kuroo had somehow landed himself in the middle of a lover’s spat with Kenma that he was trying to weasel out of to no avail. 

Before Bokuto could even try to break up the drama, he felt a familiar tingle at the back of his neck and a familiar scent enter the near vicinity. He craned his neck to see Akaashi walking back towards them. Bokuto took the liberty to see why Hinata was so adamant that had checked the gray-eyed omega out. He wasn't wearing any of Bokuto's clothes today, opting instead for a chocolate brown sweater vest over a white t-shirt, light brown slacks, and white converse. The perfect blend of casual and yet well put together, entirely suited for Akaashi. The slacks were fitted in all the right places and Bokuto lamented over the fact that he couldn’t see Akaashi’s ass from this angle, just to prove how good he is at not checking it out. It wasn’t until Hinata cleared his throat pointedly that Bokuto hadn't even realized that his friends had silenced and were all watching him knowingly. Even Tsukishima.

When Bokuto looked back to the table, Hinata caught his eyes, the first-year boy was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and Bokuto wanted to die. Kuroo was wheezing his lungs out.

To make matters worse, Akaashi decided that it was perfectly appropriate to plop himself on Bokuto's lap as he dropped the takeaway bags in front of the others. At least the food had distracted Hinata too much to continue teasing him. 

“Something wrong?” Bokuto asked as he wrapped his arms instinctively around Akaashi's small waist. It wasn't often that Akaashi would initiate such bold contact, and never without reason. 

“The alpha, in the green jacket,” Akaashi spoke calmly as Bokuto's eyes did a quick scan of the courtyard and saw who his friend was talking about, “when I left to pick up the food, he followed me to and from the University entrance.”

“He did what,” Bokuto growled under his breath not realizing the number of dominant pheromones he was releasing until Kenma and Hinata flinched. 

“Tone it down, caveman,” Tsukki rolled his eyes. 

Kuroo, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi were unaffected by Bokuto's dominance, being two alphas and a beta respectively they weren’t fighting against the instinctive urge to submit to him. That didn’t mean they were comfortable with the idea of Kenma and Shoyo feeling that way. At least Kuroo and Yamaguchi weren't, the jury was still out on Tsukishima.

“It's not a big deal, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi assured him. He reached for some food to offer to the alpha. 

But Bokuto simply pulled Akaashi a little firmer against his chest and motioned for the fries to be given to him. Akaashi obliged only to find that Bokuto wanted to feed him. He indulged the alpha knowing that he probably felt a little protective at the moment. Bokuto's eyes kept going back to Green Jacket now and then who was talking with a girl not too far from them, but his eyes lingered on Akaashi. It wasn't until the girl dragged him away that Akaashi fully relaxed. 

“I should have kicked his ass.”

“Bo, you’ve never once kicked anyone’s ass,” Kuroo reminded him fondly. 

“Besides he didn't technically do anything,” Akaashi commented, taking a sip of Kenma’s banana milk before the smaller boy noticed.

“He followed you and made you uncomfortable!” Bokuto cried, clearly affronted. 

"Most things make me uncomfortable." 

"Don't defend him, Akaash!" Bokuto whined, not wanting Akaashi to behave so dismissively of behavior that was rather disturbing.

"Bokuto-san is right, Akaashi-san," Hinata chirped around a mouth of food. "That guy was being creepy." 

"Don't speak with your mouth full, disgusting idiot," Tsukki sneered. Which in turn set Hinata off to sting his tongue out at the uptight alpha and started a kerfuffle while Yamaguchi tried to pacify them again. 

"I hate that that stuff is so normal to you," Bokuto whined but Akaashi just hummed non-committedly as slid out from Bokuto's lap and in the place next to him. 

Bokuto watched as the omega reached for a napkin, wiped at the corner of his mouth and then he tentatively touched Bokuto's wrist and pulled it closer to him. Slowly, Akaashi began to wipe the oil from Bokuto’s fingers with his own. The action felt strangely intimate to Bokuto, even more than Akaashi sitting on his lap, but that might just be because of his weird fixation on Akaashi’s hands. The whole thing made Bokuto want to smile even more so when he noticed the red in the tips of Akaashi's ears. But he couldn't. Not when thoughts of his best friend being so blase about potential harassment still occupied his mind. 

When Akaashi had deemed Bokuto’s fingers significantly clean, he started to gather all his things and get ready for his next class. The second-year omega stood up, shouldering his book bag, and was about to say his goodbyes when he looked down and saw the downturn of Bokuto's lips and sighed. Slowly he knelt until he was leaning over Bokuto’s face, the alpha had been watching him silently for the past couple of minutes. 

Akaashi pressed closer until the curve of lips lightly grazed the top of Bokuto’s ear, which Akaashi tugged at fondly as he whispered sweetly. 

"Don't worry about it Bokuto-san, at least I'll always have you to protect me."

Bokuto's smile lasted the rest of the day. 

And he most definitely did not watch Akaashi’s ass in those slacks as he walked away. No matter what Hinata said. 

  
  


***

  
  
  


Bokuto was so screwed. And not in a fun way. 

He completely forgot about this one assignment for his strictest professor’s class and there was no way he was going to finish before midnight. So yeah he was utterly screwed. But that didn't mean he was going to give up without a fight. He sat on his bed typing up a storm on his laptop as he tried to piece together as much as could to not completely fail the assignment.

He heard the click of his apartment door and the sound of someone slipping off their shoes, figuring it was Kuroo (who came and went from Bokuto's place as he pleased), he didn't pay much mind, he didn't have the time to. If it were a burglar, they’d have to wait until he was done.

The smell of rosemary assured him that he was not getting robbed today. 

“Akaashi!”

“Hello Bokuto-san, I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie,” Akaashi inquired as pulled off his pullover, not bothering to look at Bokuto as he maneuvered around the bed towards Bokuto's cupboard to hang his sweater there, hoping that the scent of cinnamon would latch on to it by the time he left.

When Akaashi turned around to face Bokuto for the first time, he certainly didn't expect the alpha’s eyes to be on the clouded over with tears, familiar pout in place and his fingers hovered over his keyboard. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. 

“Scootch over, I'll help you,” Akaashi sighed as he climbed onto the bed, pulling Bokuto’s laptop towards himself to assess the damage. 

“Akaashi! Thank you! You're the best!” Bokuto cried as threw his arms over the omega’s shoulders. 

“It's no problem Bokuto-san, I type faster than you anyway. Just don’t forget about your assignments in the future.”

“I won't, Akaashi! Promise.”

“Good, because this is the last time I am going to help you.”

They were both lying but Bokuto figured that the lies just canceled out. 

They worked for over six hours without so much as a pee break. Although Bokuto did send a few texts to their group chat to inform them about the situation and how he desperately needed their prayers. Only Hinata responded. Yamaguchi did one better than responding, being the angel he was he stopped by to drop off some homemade soba. The action so touched Bokuto (he was used to his texts on the group chat being ignored because he tended to spam) that it nearly drove him to the verge of tears in gratitude, but Akaashi tactfully reminded him to save any and all tears until after Bokuto got his grade back for the assignment. Akaashi couldn’t help much with the content of the assignment, at least in his eyes. To Bokuto, the fact that Akaashi could contribute at all despite being a year younger and having a completely different degree was mind-boggling. Sometimes he forgot the depth of Akaashi’s intelligence. 

By the end of it all, they were both exhausted. Bokuto wasn’t entirely sure how they pulled it off but he chalked it up to being something to do with the magic that is Akaashi Keiji. 

It probably wasn't the best assignment Bokuto had ever handed in but it was far from the worst so he figured that meant he would at least pass.

“You're a miracle worker, ‘Kaashi,’ Bokuto slurred as he clicked submit at 23:58. 

“Hmm,” Akaashi hummed from his place on Bokuto’s shoulder, eyes closed already. 

Carefully, Bokuto closed his laptop and placed it aside. He gently placed his hand on top of Akaashi’s hair, “‘Kaashi, let’s get under the covers, ‘kay?”

The omega hummed again but made no move to do as Bokuto said, “If you get under the covers now, I’ll let you warm your ice cubed feet on my legs.”

Slowly Akaashi extracted himself from Bokuto’s shoulder and crawled underneath the covers, Bokuto right behind him. Soon they were comfortable, Akaashi’s face nestled against the back of Bokuto’s neck, an arm sprawled lazily across his stomach and his iced toes pressed firmly into the back of the alpha’s calves. 

It was the most peaceful sleep they had had since the last time Akaashi stayed over. 

  
  
  


Akaashi hated mornings, he was basically a grumpy old man until an hour or so after he had woken up, so imagine the surprise on Bokuto’s face when he woke up to see Akaashi smiling as he spoke sweetly to someone on the phone. Bokuto wasn’t convinced he hadn’t shifted realities during the night. Perhaps he was still dreaming. 

“Thank you for the call, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said as he hung up the call, blinking down at Bokuto. 

Bokuto’s brain was not awake enough to comprehend any of this. 

“Just your parents,” Akaashi explained, noticing the confusion on Bokuto’s face, “They phoned to check if I heard anything back from that job interview I had. Also, your dad said he’s having some groceries delivered to both of us.”

Bokuto nodded into his pillow, still watching Akaashi. The omega smiled down at him, and threaded his fingers through Bokuto’s hair, tenderly combing out all the knots. Bokuto inched closer to him until his head laid on Akaashi's thigh, silently urging Akaashi to keep playing with his hair. 

Bokuto loved waking up to Akaashi. But this morning something was different, Akaashi’s scent of rosemary seeming even more overwhelming than normal. The alpha turned his head to press his nose securely against Akaashi’s thigh and breath him in deeply. Akaashi’s hand curled into his hair a little bit tighter. 

“Can you scent mark me?” Akaashi asked, somewhat reservedly. 

Bokuto groaned internally, he was still dreaming. It had been months since they scent marked because of Akaashi’s trial run with the blockers, aside from that it wasn’t often that Akaashi asked to scent mark him, more commonly it was Bokuto practically begging for it.

Bokuto sat up against the headboard, mirroring Akaashi’s position before pulling the omega onto his lap. He heard Akaashi’s breath hitch at the contact, Bokuto’s brain hadn’t realized just how intimate the position was, still hazy with sleep. But now, with their faces suggestively close and Akaashi’s ass seated directly on Bokuto’s crotch, it was difficult not to notice. Thankfully, the alpha was still too drowsy to be embarrassed. 

Bokuto gently interlocked the tips of their fingers to place Akaashi’s hands on his shoulders. He ran the palms of his own hands across the length of Akaashi’s arms and down his sides. He brushed his nose into the side of Akaashi’s cheek while slipping his hands underneath the hem of Akaashi’s shirt so that his palms touched the bare skin of his lower back, his thumbs pressed into the waistband of Akaashi’s sweatpants. 

They sat like that for a minute until Akaashi began to get slightly impatient. The omega nudged Bokuto’s nose with his cheek and tilted his head back, baring his neck in submission. Bokuto growled softly, the possessive part of him wanted to claim Akaashi as his at that moment. To place his bite into Akaashi’s skin. To make sure that Akaashi would never willingly submit to anyone else, to ensure they’d always smell like each other. 

The rational part of him knew that he couldn’t, so instead, he pulled back to admire the beautiful curve of Akaashi’s neck as he dragged his fingers up and down the center of Akaashi’s spine. He pressed his fingers into Akaashi’s skin, marking him with scent as opposed to his mouth like he wanted. Bokuto’s eyes, still trained on Akaashi’s neck, saw the omega swallowing thickly, his breaths coming out in soft and quiet pants. 

Bokuto pushed his fingertips solidly against a certain knob in Akaashi’s lower back and up to trace the curve of his scapula. Bokuto hadn’t realized how brave his hands had gotten until his fingers mistakenly grazed Akasshi’s nipple. The reaction was instantaneous, Akaashi’s scent spiking significantly. 

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi cried in surprise, pushing his chest up high and his hands automatically grabbing the back of Bokuto’s hair as he tugged harshly. 

Something in the air altered and any and all haziness cleared out of Bokuto’s mind. Suddenly, he never felt more awake in his entire life.

Akaashi’s hands loose in his hair and his head tilted forward. Bokuto tried to glance into Akaashi’s beautiful eyes, but the omega avoided his gaze. They both had a steady flush to their cheeks. Their hearts beating loudly, chests heaving. 

Bokuto removed his hands from underneath Akaashi’s shirt knowing that they had landed in uncharted territory now. He placed his hands tentatively over Akaashi’s waist and pressed their foreheads together, eyes closed as they breathed in the same air. 

A full minute passed before they caught their breaths. 

In a final act, Bokuto dragged his nose across the curve of Akaashi’s jawline, until his face was securely nuzzled in the younger’s neck. Akaashi dragged his nails down the back of Bokuto’s neck before looping his hands loosely on Bokuto’s shoulders. 

They hugged each other like that before Akaashi pulled away, sliding beside Bokuto in the position he had been in when Bokuto had opened his eyes not that long ago, almost as if he was erasing everything that had happened since. 

Bokuto couldn’t erase it even if he had wanted to, he supposed his initial sleepiness allowed him to be bolder than usual and it had in turn caused the most sensual scent marking that either of them had ever experienced before. 

Bokuto wouldn’t ever forget the way Akaashi has gasped his name in surprised pleasure for as long as he lived. Not to mention he now knew his best friend had sensitive nipples. Which was too much for him to process right now. 

Akaashi cleared his throat, “Thank you, Bokuto-san”

“Why do you still call me Bokuto-san?” 

It promptly occurred to Bokuto that that had been the first thing he’d said aloud since he woke up. That certainly hadn't been what he’d expected to be his first sentence of the day. It seemed like Akaashi hadn’t been expecting the random question after such an intense scent-marking either, judging by his facial expression. 

He didn’t answer at first, and Bokuto wondered if he had unconsciously asked the question in an attempt to dissipate the tension. It seemed to work when he felt Akaashi relax his shoulders more. 

“We've had this discussion before,” Akaashi reminded him.

They had, back when they were both still in high school. It wasn’t so much as a conversation, more just Bokuto telling Akaashi that he didn’t need to be so formal when he addressed the alpha. They were best friends, after all. 

‘We’re not in high school anymore, ‘Kaashi.”

Akaashi took a deep breath, Boktuo’s reply having a certain weight to it that neither of them was ready to acknowledge. 

“I’ve always called you Bokuto-san, anything else feels disrespectful somehow.” A pause. “If it makes you feel better I still call Kuroo-san, Kuroo-san.”

“I want you to call me Koutarou.”

Bokuto had no brain to mouth filter this morning because what in the actual fuck was he talking about, he briefly imagined how this morning would have gone if Akaashi, instead of “Bokuto-san”, had gasped out “ _ Koutarou” _ .

It didn’t take a genius for Bokuto to deduce that if that had happened he would have probably imploded or popped a boner that he couldn’t be held accountable for (he had already had a semi throughout the scent marking ordeal that Akaashi had most definitely noticed, considering he was sitting on it). It was a friendly boner, though. Because they were just friends. 

“Are you sure, Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto nodded.

“Are you gonna start calling me Keiji?”

“If that’s what you want me to call you.”

“What do you want to call me?” Akaashi whispered, tension returning to the room immediately. 

“I- ”

The door to his apartment clicked open as Kuroo's voice filled the small space, "I come bearing absolutely nothing, but I have a free period and Kneman kicked me out so let me make you breakfast.! Oh, Akaashi I didn't know you were here too. " 

Kuroo couldn't see Bokuto's bed from the entrance, completely blocked by the kitchen wall but he could see Akaashi’s shoes at the door and smell Akaashi’s scent. 

Thank God for Kuroo’s arrival because Bokuto wasn't sure how Akaashi would have reacted to Bokuto’s answer of  _ “I want to call you mine. I’d call you anything you want as long as I could put “my” in front of it.”  _

It was thought that made Bokuto wonder, wonder if he’d ever get to call Akaashi, his Akaashi, his Keiji, his baby, his love, his. 

“We should go before he burns down my kitchen,” Bokuto chuckled, his throat dry. 

Akaashi paused, watching the alpha curiously as he stayed seated on the bed. His face was still flushed from the scent marking. 

“I like that you call me Akaash and ‘Kaashi, no one else calls me that. Although, you can call me Keiji too, Koutarou.” 

Bokuto’s head snapped so fast to look at Akaashi he wouldn't have been surprised if smoke came out of his ears. 

His heartbeat increased for the nth time since he’d woken up this morning and he was sure that Akaashi Keiji wasn’t good for his health as his chest tightened and he felt like little owls were fluttering their wings in his stomach. 

For the record, he would have preferred the boner. 

  
  
  
  


When Kuroo said he was going to make breakfast, Bokuto didn’t know why he assumed that it would be more elaborate than cereal, that was his bad. If Kuroo noticed any tension between the pair, he didn't say anything which was tremendously out of character for the mischievous alpha. Bokuto figured God was throwing him a bone by letting Kuroo be his saving grace today. Not wanting to push his luck - especially knowing that he and Akaashi most certainly  _ reeked _ of each right now - Bokuto sat down without complaint to eat his soggy cereal. Akaashi followed his lead sitting down at the tiny table and eating, although he seemed to be somewhat agitated, squirming in his seat slightly.

Kuroo didn't stay to eat, he was already dressed and ready for an early class. He watched the best friends eat with silent curiosity, leaning against the small fridge in Bokuto’s kitchen.

“So” Kuroo began innocently and both Bokuto and Akaashi tensed, “busy night?”

Bokuto choked on his spoon. He violently thrashed around until Akaashi thumped on his back hard. The spoon flew out of Bokuto’s mouth and clattered onto the table. Kuroo moved quickly, tossing Akaashi a bottle of water from the fridge, which the omega caught in mid-air and pushed into Bokuto’s hands. The alpha twisted off the cap gulped down the water in record time. 

“Are you okay?” Akaashi asked as Bokuto pulled away from the nearly empty bottle. Bokuto just nodded rapidly not wanting to cause alarm.

“Jeez, Bo, I was just talking about your assignment.”

Bokuto blanched, “Oh.” 

“We managed to finish the assignment and turn it in on time, Kuroo-san.”

“Good for you, Bo! Anyway, I should head out before I get late.”

Bokuto and Akaashi thanked Kuroo for breakfast as he headed towards the door. 

“You're both welcome, I'll see you guys after class!” 

Kuroo was a God-given gift to Bokuto this morning because despite causing Bokuto to nearly choke and die, he not only refrained from remarking about the apartment’s strong aroma of rosemary and cinnamon but he also kinda provided breakfast, was genuinely worried about Bokuto’s assignment, and managed to interrupt them this morning with precise timing before Bokuto blurted out something stupid. Bokuto made a mental note to treat Kuroo with drinks soon. 

Before the door clicked close, Kuroo's voice called out one more time “Also if you two are trying to keep it a secret that you’re fucking, you should at least pop open a window and air out the room, it reeks in here!”

Bokuto was going to kill him. The pair flushed at Kuroo’s words and stayed silent for a second. The room was tense. 

“Don’t worry about Kuroo, he was just teasing it doesn’t smell like sex in here - Wait! I mean! Oh god!” 

Bokuto wanted the ground to swallow him whole, this was the weirdest morning of his life. 

“Kuroo-san is an instigator of drama, I wonder where he gets all these ridiculous ideas from,” Akaashi commented calmly, clearly giving Bokuto a way out of the grave he had dug. 

“Yeah, he’s a weird one.”

To be completely fair, it wasn’t presumptuous for Kuroo to believe they had been fooling around when they smelt this strongly of each other, were behaving slightly strained, and had released pheromones of pleasure in the apartment from the scent marking. Didn’t mean that Bokuto wasn’t going to rip him a new one the next time they were alone together though.

“You have afternoon classes today, right Keiji?” Bokuto asked, clearing his throat as he desperately tried to act as naturally as he possibly could. Akaashi nodded, as Bokuto gathered their bowls and made his way to the sink to wash up. “My class was canceled today.”

“I know, Bo- Koutarou, I was with you when your professor emailed, remember,” Akaashi replied politely, coming around the counter to peer fervently at the calendar on the fridge. 

Bokuto kept his eyes trained on the bowls in the sink as he spoke, “I was wondering if you maybe would like to do something? I mean we could stay inside if you want, but I was thinking we could go to the gym together, and then maybe go for lunch and I know you wanted to go to that new second-hand book store for a while if you wanted we could do that. Only if you wanted though, no pressure. Or we don’t have to spend the day together if you have plans, which you probably do- ”

“Koutarou, what’s the date today?”

There was thinly veiled panic in the omega’s voice that made Bokuto turn around to face him who was still staring at the calendar. He realized that Akaashi’s skin was still flushed but figured it was still from the pheromones. Bokuto’s body moved on automatically, entering into Akaashi’s personal space as he amicably flicked the creases between the younger’s eyebrows which were furrowed in deep thought. 

“What’s making your eyebrows so upset?” Bokuto teased gently.

Akaashi began to fiddle with his fingers, a sure representation of his anxiety, “I think I’m in pre-heat.”

Suddenly Bokuto was too close, he felt his body tense involuntarily as the words “Akaashi” and “heat” registered in his head and drove him to the edge of near insanity. 

Everything from this morning fell into place like dominoes. Bokuto should have known the moment Akaashi had avoided direct eye contact. Akaashi was in pre-heat, probably slipping during the night. 

“You- your-”

“Koutarou-”

Bokuto shut his eyes. This morning was something out of his deepest desires and darkest nightmares. He couldn't handle any of this; the scent marking, Akaashi calling him by his first name, Akaashi talking about his  _ heat _ . Bokuto wondered if the universe was legitimately trying to kill him today, it all felt like some sort of sign. 

It wasn’t until Akaashi let out a scared whimper that Bokuto stopped thinking like an absolute idiot. It was so soft Bokuto was surprised he had heard it and it was involuntary with the way Akaashi was trying to restrain himself. But there was no hiding it, Akaashi was scared right now. Bokuto needed to pull himself together and take care of his best friend, his existential crisis would have to wait. Because goddamnit if there was one thing that Bokuto could spend his whole life doing without gripe, it was taking care of Akaashi. He dared anyone else to try to take care of Akaashi as well as he could. 

Bokuto pulled Akaashi against his chest slowly, one hand loosely encircled around the younger man and the other went to cup the side of his face. 

“You’re okay, take a deep breath for me, Akaash.” The omega inhaled slowly and exhaled shakily. 

“Good. You're doing good, pup, no need to panic, okay? Just tell me what you want to do, what you need me to do.”

“I don't know,'' Akaashi said, panic creeping into his voice. “I’m on suppressants, this shouldn’t be happening but I know what preheat feels like and - Bokuto-san I haven’t experienced a heat in  _ years _ , I don’t think I can do this.”

“Keiji, it’s okay. We’re going to get you to the campus nurse, maybe she can explain why you suddenly went into heat,” Bokuto assured him. 

Akaashi shook his head violently, “But what if she can’t stop it. I don’t know how to do this.” 

Bokuto took a deep breath at the words. “I-

“Please don’t leave me.”

Bokuto bit his lip to restrain himself from reacting, his only priority right now was Akaashi. Everything else could wait. “Let’s just get you to the nurse, for now, Keiji. Will figure the rest out as we go, okay.”

Akaashi nodded, still visibly distressed. 

Bokuto cradled the omega’s face in his hands and tilted it until Akaashi was looking up at him with those beautiful almond-shaped metallic eyes of his. Eyes that were currently filled with anxiety and fear. 

A big reason why most people still refused to believe that alphas and omegas could have a platonic relationship was that, if history were accurate, alpha’s would abuse their power over omegas. Use dominance and fear to control. That had never been a concern for Bokuto and Akaashi because Bokuto was only the alpha in their relationship by name. Akaashi called the shots, everything was on his terms because Bokuto lived to make him comfortable and happy. That's all he’s ever wanted to do for the omega.

Bokuto knows the feeling of succumbing to his body’s most primitive instincts, he experiences that when in rut. But the idea of being compelled by his body didn’t scare Bokuto, who favored following his gut. For Akaashi it was different. Akaashi prioritized his intellect, he trusted his head to make the most rational and logical decisions, disregarding the way an omega was ‘supposed’ to behave. Akaashi’s heat stripped him of that control as his natural impulses took over and left him unreservedly exposed. Akaashi’s heat was the height of his vulnerability and he was terrified.

“I know you're scared, but I promise you, Kaashi, you're still in charge here. I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you.”

Akaashi was struggling to meet the alpha’s eyes, the pre-heat gradually starting to manifest itself in his actions. But he still nodded his head firmly from in between Bokuto’s hands. 

  
  


***

  
  


Bokuto knew he had to get Akaashi to the nurse’s office as quickly as possible. Akaashi told Bokuto that his preheat usually lasted around five hours but they had deduced it had started while they were asleep. Which meant they had no idea how far into it he was already. That was problem number one. 

Problem number 2 was that Akaashi was starting to smell divine. Which wouldn’t have been a problem if they hadn’t had to walk across campus to the nurse’s office. Practically every alpha that could get a whiff of Akaashi’s pre-heat scent turned to look at him, lust in their eyes and it made Bokuto’s blood boil. Not even Bokuto’s scent covering Akaashi so strongly could deter them from Akaashi’s heavenly scent. If Akaashi hadn’t been holding his hand like a lifeline, Bokuto wasn’t sure anything could have stopped him from attacking. He settled for growling loudly and possessively. It seemed to work moderately well considering no one approached them, most students steered clear of them but it didn’t stop their looks. Akaashi kept his head down as they walked as quickly as they could. 

By the time they were seated in the nurse’s office they were both so tightly strung it was painful to watch. Akaashi sat on the makeshift hospital bed, face completely flushed as the nurse checked his vitals and asked him the basic questions. Bokuto stood against the door, guarding it, just in case someone hadn’t gotten the message from their walkover. 

“When did you say your last heat was?” the nurse inquired rigidly.

“Two years ago, but I don’t understand,” Akaashi urged, trying to not fluster himself any more than the pre-heat already had, “I’m on suppressants, why am I going through heat? Can’t you give me a pill, a shot, anything to stop it?”

The nurse hummed, turning sharply to look at Bokuto catching him completely off guard at the sudden attention. The alpha smiled sheepishly at the nurse. 

“Is he your alpha?” the nurse asked turning back to Akaashi, who would have flushed deeper if it were physically possible. 

"We're just friends,” Akaashi replied robotically, eyes suddenly glued to his shoes. 

“Best friends,” Bokuto added as cheerily as he could manage. 

The nurse hummed in response. There was a beat of silence. 

“Well, the good news is, I know why you’re in preheat,” the nurse started conversationally as she handed Akaashi an ice pack, which he took thankfully. “The bad news is that unfortunately, I can’t stop it.”

“Why not?” Bokuto whined incredulously, not wanting Akaashi to deal with something he was so vehemently uncomfortable with. 

“I’m afraid you two have entered a pseudo mate bond.”

Bokuto has no idea how he hasn’t passed out with everything that’s happened today. Although perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to start tempting a very plausible reaction that he could still have, he already felt disorientated. 

“A what?”

“You two have been in each other’s vicinity intimately for so long that Akaashi’s body has started to believe that you two are mated. Akaashi’s body is likely viewing the lack of a mating bite as a rejection and forced itself into heat in an attempt to seduce his alpha into claiming him.”

Part of Bokuto wanted to beam at being referred to as Akaashi's alpha, at the idea of claiming him but he was too shocked by the entirety of the situation to react. Akaashi’s body was trying to seduce him, Bokuto, specifically. As happy as he wanted to be about the situation he suddenly wondered how consensual this morning's scent-marking had been and felt like he was going to be sick. He had completely taken advantage of what Akaashi’s body wanted not realizing it the omega and his body weren’t attuned right now. Akaashi probably hated it, hated him, Bokuto certainly never hated himself more. 

“Akaashi’s still in control of his body though? Like this bond isn’t going to make him do things he doesn’t want to do, is it?” Bokuto asked, nervously. 

“Akaashi-san’s cognitive ability will remain, I suppose you could also say that this heat is trying to encourage him to depend on his gut feelings more, but those impulses are still his own. The bond can’t make him follow his instincts, just lower his inhibitions enough that he’ll want to, more than he usually wants.”

Bokuto wasn’t dumb, he knew that meant that Akaashi wasn’t being mind-controlled by his body. That this was, in actuality. something the omega wanted. Bokuto wasn’t dumb, but even if he had been a genius he knows he still would not have known what the fuck he was meant to do with that information. 

“I didn't even know such a thing was possible, " Akaashi said, anxiety lacing his voice. 

“Unmated alphas and omegas with feelings don’t usually spend prolonged, one on one time in each other's presence without mating,” the nurse chirped. There was one particular thing that stood out in that sentence that made every self-loathing thought in Bokuto’s mind come to a screeching halt. His mouth felt dry.

“I’m sorry- feelings?” Bokuto blurted.

“A pseudo bond won’t form based solely on your actions, there has to be substantial emotional depth within the relationship,” the nurse informed them. Bokuto realized that emotional depth didn’t equal romantic feelings but a part of him couldn’t help but be wistful. “I’m assuming you two have been friends for a few years?”

“Since I started high school,” Akaashi confirmed, voice slightly hoarse.

“Any other pair would either be mated or have gone their separate ways.”

Bokuto thought of Kenma and Kuroo who have been mated since Kenma presented as an omega. He thought of Hinata, who although being one of Bokuto’s good friends, never hung out alone with Bokuto and just now realized it was because they were both unmated. In hindsight, Bokuto should have recognized that Hinata always invited someone else to hang with them. In his defense, most of the time it was Yamaguchi and Bokuto wouldn’t dare question the sweetheart beta’s presence, firstly because he’s certain hurting Yamaguchi’s feelings is a criminal offense and secondly, Tsukki would definitely retaliate and Bokuto wasn’t exactly eager to find out the depths of Angry Mate Tsukishima’s capabilities. Furthermore, Bokuto also didn’t think much about it. He had no need too. He liked Yamaguchi, so what was there to question? Bokuto wondered how Akaashi hadn’t picked up on any of that, the younger boy was incredibly observant and knowledgeable. It was rattling to think that there are things that even Akaashi didn’t discern - especially with his analytical mind. 

“Does this mean we have to mate?” 

Akaashi’s question sliced through Bokuto’s heart and he was sure it stopped beating for a second. But he remained silent, leaving everything in Akaashi's pretty and more than capable hands. 

“You still have the option to break the bond but it would require separation for a few weeks, maybe several months depending on how strong your bond is.”

Months, several months without seeing Akaashi, without his perfect scent of rosemary that Bokuto worships. Without his small smiles and quiet giggles that send Bokuto into a different plane of existence every time they are directed at him. Without his delicate affection and captivating mind. 

It struck Bokuto just how dull his life would be without Akaashi Keiji.

The longest Bokuto and Akaashi had ever gone without seeing each other was three weeks. It was back when Akaashi was still in high school and Bokuto had just started his first year of university. Bokuto doesn’t think he could ever forget just how miserable he had been, his usual over-dramatic personality had faded to feelings of him being indifferent to everything around him. Kuroo had been so worried about him that he put Bokuto on the first train to go see Akaashi. When they had finally reunited, they promised to meet weekly to not neglect their friendship. 

Except now things were different, now their friendship was actually a fake mating bond. Bokuto didn’t know how they could survive a separation now, after the regular scent-marking and pseudo bond when they couldn’t handle it before. 

“I suggest that if you do plan on separating, you do it after your heat, a separation during a self-induced heat would be unbearably painful for you, especially after two years of heat abstinence.”

Separation. Long-term separation from Akaashi, the thought alone was unbearable, bringing tears to Bokuto’s eyes. He also knew that no matter how painful he would endure it if that was what Akaashi wanted. He wasn’t lying when he told the omega that he had full control. Bokuto wouldn’t let anything hurt Akaashi, and this fake bond seemed to be doing just that so even if it meant removing himself from Akaashi’s life Bokuto would do it to keep his best friend happy. 

  
  


“And if we wanted to make the bond permanent?” Akaashi’s voice cut through the room like a knife. He still refused to look up from the ground but he spoke sternly and the words echoed in Bokuto’s head like a boombox. 

“He’d have to claim you.”

_ He’d have to claim you. Bokuto would have to claim Akaashi. _ Bite his mark into Akaashi’s skin. Claim Akaashi as his omega, be Akaashi’s alpha, forever. 

“Do we have to decide right now?” Akaashi asked stiltedly, hands gripping the ice pack desperately. 

“You can decide after your heat is over if that’s what you’re asking, but you should know that the longer you draw this out the more intensely your body will behave. It’s also likely that your quasi-alpha over here might start to have similar reactions, probably going into rut, and you’d both start to lose your inhibitions and reasonings around one another, his fangs will start to descend randomly and you might even find yourself baring your neck and submitting to him even if it’s unwillingly.”

Bokuto could hear Akaashi’s deep breaths from across the room. The omega seemed to slump further into himself.

“It might relax you to know that you won't be experiencing the regular heat symptoms.”

“What do you mean? It feels like a real heat.”

“It is a real heat, but heats are primarily sexual, intended for breeding- ”

Bokuto started coughing vigorously, thumping hard at his chest to get his lungs under control, which, all in all, was better than passing out from the mere mention of breeding and Akaashi,  _ of breeding Akaashi _ . Thankfully, neither the nurse nor Akaashi commented on his random onslaught on asthma. 

“-being a pseudo mating induced heat, this will be different. In a regular heat, all your body wants is to ensure procreation, it's the singular thought. Whereas now, your body truly yearns more for confirmation that this alpha wants you around as his mate. Of course, your body will still crave his, but you won’t be driven by sexual desire, rather you’ll be longing for intimacy and closeness.”

The room was eerily silent for a while before the nurse seemed to remember something. The nurse went over to her desk drawer pulling out a huge seat of keys with a sigh. She beckoned for the pair to follow after her. 

“The university is mandated to direct you to a Cycle Room since you’ve not had the time to make the necessary provisions for your heat. Everything you could need is provided for you, solo or not,” she told Akaashi.

Cautiously, they followed her down a long corridor until they reached the end where four doors labeled “Heat/Rut Rooms” were located. She unlocked the first door but didn’t open it, turning to face the pair instead. 

“Because your heat is self-induced and you're still on suppressants, it shouldn’t last more than 24 hours, but your preheat is conditional as per usual. There’s an emergency button on either side of the headboard, if you need any medical assistance or face some type of emergency press it and someone will be there to aid you. The door locks from the inside.” 

Akaashi nodded in understanding. 

Finally, she motioned to Bokuto, still addressing Akaashi, “Is he coming with me or staying with you?”

Bokuto held his breath as Akaashi opened his mouth to answer her. Wringing his wrist tightly with his long fingers and still keeping his head down to avoid eye contact.

“Staying. He’s staying with me,” Akaashi mumbled. 

  
  


***

  
  


Bokuto tried not to look at the bed. 

The room was set up like a love motel room. It made Bokuto’s hands sweaty. His chest was still a little tight from the coughing earlier. 

"We," Akaashi seemed to be struggling to speak, squirming with discomfort from where he sat on the edge of the bed. Averting his eyes and bending back his fingers anxiously. "We should probably talk about everything."

Everything meaning the fact that their bodies thought they were mated. 

"Wouldn't you, uh, rather wait until, um, after the, your?" Bokuto gestured to the room flusteredly. 

"Preheat doesn't eliminate my ability to think, Koutarou." 

Bokuto's face burned. He quickly tried to amend what he meant. "I didn't me- " 

"I know, it's fine. However, I'd like to know where you stand before I- before I become distracted."

Bokuto understood that Akaashi wouldn’t be able to get through his heat safely without having this discussion. Akaashi needed to have some semblance of where they stood after all the information that was revealed to them or he would make himself sick with uneasiness. Bokuto knew this, but that didn’t mean he was eager to hear Akaashi end everything they had. 

“Do you want us to separate, Koutarou?”

_ ("No!" Bokuto screamed internally. _ )

“It doesn't matter what I want, Akaashi,” Bokuto shook his head furiously. 

“It matters to me. It should matter to you.”

“ _ You _ matter to me, Kaashi, I only want whatever is gonna make you happy,” Bokuto said earnestly, needing the omega to feel the truth in his words and maybe for him to read in between the lines. 

Akaashi paused, finally looking up. The alpha knew that there was probably a lot going on in Akaashi’s head right now, that the omega was bound to be feeling a torrent of varying emotions, but he was still shocked to his core to see burning anger in Akaashi’s eyes. 

“Bullshit.”

In all their years of friendship, Bokuto had never heard Akaashi swear before. Not even that time he had stubbed his toe on Kenma’s game console. 

“Bullshit?” Bokuto repeated in shock. 

"Yes,” Akaashi didn’t elaborate further. 

Bokuto sighed, the weight of today’s events starting to feel more palpable in this small room. “What do you want me to say, Akaashi?”

“I don’t want you to say something that you don’t mean!” Akaashi scoffed indignantly. 

“But I do mean it, Akaashi!” Bokuto whined desperately. He exhaled slowly before continuing in a soft voice, “I want you to be happy, Keiji, more than anything else, I’m not lying to you.”

“You’re not telling me the whole truth either!”

Bokuto’s eyes widened at that and Akaashi’s anger seemed to melt out of him. The omega rubbed his hand across his forehead as he began to speak again, his voice calmer. 

“I just want you to tell me what you're thinking, what you're truly thinking, not what you want me to hear.”

It was the way Akaashi said it as if his voice was breaking into a million pieces. He’d never heard Akaashi sound like that before, he sounded heartbroken. It lit something up in Bokuto that he couldn't explain even if he tried. He was so tired of half-truths.

“I think this whole situation is beyond fucked up." Akaashi winced but Bokuto had opened the floodgates, and he wasn't about to stop now. "The idea that you and I don't get to take as long as we need to figure out exactly what  _ we _ are isn't fair. Who cares if most alphas and omegas would have separated or mated, everyone is different we should be able to figure this out in our own time without any pressure from our stupid DNA. And you're right, I was speaking bullshit, because if there was ever a doubt in your head that I didn't plan on spending forever with you - in whatever way you'll have me - then you wouldn't be my Akaashi. And you are  _ my _ Akaashi, you always have been and you always will be, separation or not, fake bond be damned, because even though I don't know much, I've  _ always _ known that we’re soulmates.”

Bokuto didn’t know where the words were coming from but they felt right like his heart had been planning this conversation since the first time he laid eyes on Akaashi. Despite his chest heaving slightly, Bokuto had never felt lighter than he did at that moment. As if his body could feel the tension he carried for all these years evaporate at the beginning of his confession. He never expected Akaashi to beat him to the punchline. 

“I'm in love with you.”

There was no one else in the room, but Bokuto still wondered who Akaashi was talking to for a second. 

Whenever Bokuto had allowed himself to daydream about him confessing to Akaashi, he’d never allowed himself to acknowledge that there was a possibility the omega wouldn’t reject him on the spot. He felt that that would give him too much false hope and was scared that said hope would make him stupidly confident thus encouraging him to be reckless enough to assuredly confess. The knowledge that Akaashi not only didn’t reject him but technically confessed before he did make his heart pound so hard he could feel it in his ass. 

“I think I always was but I just, I was - am - terrified that if something were to happen between us and go wrong then I'd lose you permanently and I can't risk that.”

“What if nothing goes wrong?” 

“Something always goes wrong, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, tears brimming his eyes. 

“Not with us. Every 'wrong' we've faced we've managed to figure out. I mean you mostly figure it out but I do whatever you tell me to do to fix it so I consider that team effort.” 

“This is serious, Bokuto-san.”

“I'm being serious, Akaashi. We shouldn’t let ourselves be so terrified of a bad future when we have so many amazing years to prove that we can make it through.”

“A relationship is different from a friendship, Bokuto-san.”

“Not our friendship.”

It was an inarguable truth, their friendship had never been without feelings. The entire situation that they were currently in is a very loud testament to that. It was different for them because this was meant to happen, they were always going to end up together. Bokuto could feel it from the tips of his hair down to his toes. 

“Bo- Koutarou what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying I want this, us. I want you. Wanted you long before your body decided to tell us what my heart already knew. I'm saying I'm in love with you, Akaashi Keiji,” the words flowed out of Bokuto’s mouth before he could think them over, but he didn’t regret them. Bokuto watched Akaashi’s face intensely, waiting for the omega’s reply.

“That was incredibly cheesy.”

“Keiji!” Bokuto whined petulantly, “I thought it was romantic!”

“It was that too.” Akaashi smiled. “But- ” 

Bokuto tensed. 

“I do think that we shouldn't just rush into this. I do love you and I want to be with you, to mate with you, Koutarou, but I don’t want you to claim me because of a self-induced heat. I want us to go on awkward dates to the owl sanctuary, to have our first kiss after it takes you twenty minutes to work up the courage and to tell people you're my boyfriend just to watch you puff your chest stupidly. I refuse to let his heat rob anything else from us. Besides, I don’t think it’s the smartest idea to mate after the day we’ve had.”

Bokuto wanted everything Akaashi just said and more. It was the right thing to do, to wait, and Bokuto wasn’t disappointed in any way. Hell, he was on cloud nine. Besides, with all that was happening today, Bokuto was positive he’d suffer from a brain aneurysm if they were to do anything now. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster of a day. He’s surprised his brain hasn’t shut down from information overload. 

“I agree, today’s been a lot,” Bokuto voiced.

“Did you want us to spend my heat together  _ that _ way?” Akaashi seemed worried again. 

Bokuto swallowed down. “Does it matter?”

“I just thought you might not have wanted to.”

Bokuto’s head tilted in genuine confusion and mirth. “Did you miss my confession?”

“No but I- it’s just loving me doesn't mean you want me, in  _ that _ way.”

Bokuto’s eyes darkened with realization, “You've got nothing to worry about Akaashi. I could spend an embarrassingly long time recounting all the times I've wanted you in  _ that _ way.”

Akaashi blushed brightly and Bokuto was struck with a wave of affection for the omega.

“I know it’s incredibly selfish of me to ask you to spend my heat with me without- ”

“Claiming you.”

“I was gonna say fucking me but both are true,” Akaashi cleared his throat, covering his face in embarrassment.

Bokuto choked noisily.

“This shouldn’t even be this difficult for us, I mean we’ve waited this long, right?” 

Bokuto groaned, head tilting to the ceiling and Akaashi rubbed his cheeks with the palms of his hands. 

“If it becomes too much, you can leave, Koutarou, I wouldn’t hold it against you.”

“Keiji,” Bokuto spoke softly, something that didn’t happen often, “My need to make sure that you’re okay far-surpasses any desires, I can do this.”

“I trust you,” Akaashi said firmly, his worry seemingly vanishing before Bokuto’s eyes. 

“Is there anything I should know?” Bokuto was determined to take care of Akaashi to the best of his ability.

“I get dehydrated but sometimes I forget to drink enough so if you could make sure I drink enough…” He indicated to the mini-fridge and Bokuto nodded, listening intently. “I have rather ridiculous stamina and I get extremely slick and sweaty so I need to shower at least twice a day but I also like cool baths and to be held I’ve…”

Bokuto coughed and nodded a little too enthusiastically. “Got it, I’ll take care of you. Akaash. Promise.”

“I know you will, Koutarou, it’s just, if it becomes too much for you, you really can leave.”

Bokuto could hear the insecurity in his voice and he wished he could wipe it away. That he could ease all Akaashi’s worries in the blink of his eye.

“Hey, we’re in this together, okay?”

Akaashi shook his head, “You don’t get it. I’m mortifyingly desperate when I’m in heat, my clinginess gives me such bad second-hand embarrassment that it was the main reason I started taking suppressants in the first place and that was when I was alone! I can’t imagine how I’ll behave with you here.”

“But you still want me here?” Bokuto asked him incredulously.

“I’ve spent all my heats alone, Koutarou. From my first one at age sixteen there’s only been one name I’ve called out in heat. There’s no one else I’d want here except you.”

The knowledge that Akaashi has been thinking about him, calling out for him every heat since he was sixteen short-circuited something inside Bokuto’s brain. The temperature in the room skyrocketed and he hoped he wasn’t in over his head here. 

“Thank you for trusting me with this, Keiji.”

Akaashi closed his eyes as if he were physically digesting the words. 

“Can you hold me? Please?”

Bokuto didn’t need to hear those words twice. In two strides he was standing in front of Akaashi, cupping his face with his gruff hands and pulling him up from the bed, they looked at each other for a few seconds before Bokuto dropped a kiss to Akaashi’s temple and pulled him into his chest. He hugged the younger tightly, but still managed to be gentle not to cause the younger and discomfort. They stood wrapped around one another a while before Bokuto dropped another kiss onto the top of Akaashi’s hair. He tilted back slightly and placed his palm against Keiji’s cheek. His thumbs brushed softly across the high arch of Akaashi’s cheekbones, and the omega pressed a kiss to his palm. In a second of faux bravery, Bokuto placed the tiniest of kisses to the corner of Akaashi's soft lips before kissing the corner of his lips and pulling back slightly. 

Akaashi made a sound of protest and Bokuto felt Akaashi’s hands come up to clutch the front of the alpha’s shirt. The omega pulled on Bokuto’s shirt until their mouths were a hairsbreadth. They stood like that, breathing heavily against each other's mouths. They hadn’t kissed, but it felt just as monumental as if they had. It made his whole body tingle, simply being this close to Akaashi, it felt different now that he knew that his feelings were requited. It wasn’t until Akaashi’s tongue peeked out to wet his own lips bottom that the alpha pulled back fully, breathless. Taking a step back to try to regulate his oxygen to lung ratio, Bokuto only realized that the entire room smelt very potently of rosemary. 

“Koutarou,” Akaashi whined, reaching for the alpha with both hands, clearly hurt that Bokuto had stepped out of his touch. 

“Kaashi, I think, I think your preheat is starting to wear off. W-We should finish talking about this while we still have the chance,” Bokuto swallowed back a gulp. 

“Talking’s overrated, let’s make out,” Akaashi said, pressing their bodies together. Chests and hips flushed against each other. He wound his arms around Bokuto’s neck and pressed his face into the older’s cheek. He started to leave light kisses there before trailing to Bokuto’s ears, suckling lightly on the lobe. Bokuto felt his knees begin to buckle. 

“K-Keiji…” Bokuto had meant it as a warning, but it sounded far from one. “Keij, what happened to wanting a - a romantic first kiss?”

“Turns out romance loses its appeal when you're horny, Koutarou,” Akaashi whispered seductively directly in Bokuto’s ear to prove his point and the alpha dug his nails into his palms to keep himself sane.

“K-Keiji, don't do something you're going to regret.”

Akaashi continued to ignore him, returning to nibbling on the alpha’s ear which only caused involuntary sounds of pleasure to fall from Bokuto’s lips. That seemed to encourage the omega further and he started leaving soft kisses along the curve of Bokuto’s jaw and down his throat. Akaashi licked at the older’s neck and Bokuto felt like he deserved a medal to have not passed out in the last 24 hours of his life because honestly, what the fuck. 

“You d-didn’t lay down any ground rules,” Bokuto reminded him, trying to stay level-headed enough though Akaashi’s scent alone was driving him insane. 

Akaashi stopped the kisses, nuzzling Bokuto’s neck instead. “The ground rules are stupid. Who’s idea was it for us not to be making out?”

“Keiji.”

Akaashi pressed his forehead into Bokuto’s neck tighter and sighed exasperatedly. “Unlike my other heats, I don’t think I’ll be begging for your knot so this might be fairly more enjoyable for me than I originally anticipated.”

It wasn’t surprising that Bokuto’s knees did buckle slightly at those words. He was spluttering like an idiot, trying to form a coherent sentence when all that was coming out of his mouth was strangled sounds that resembled a dying cat.

Akaashi pulled back to watch him fondly, waiting for the alpha to calm himself down to no avail before deciding to press a kiss to Bokuto’s cheek anyway.  The action was sweet and caught Bokuto so off guard that he stopped malfunctioning almost as if Akaashi had rebooted him. 

“I’m sorry that I seem so conflicted about this, Koutarou. I wasn’t lying earlier, I want us to do this at our own pace the way we want, not the way this heat wants us to, is that dumb?”

“It’s sweet that you care, Kaashi. I didn’t think stuff like our firsts would be important to you.”

“Of course I care about that stuff, everything about us is important to me. Aside from that, it’s not only our firsts, it’s also our lasts and I think we shouldn’t feel any pressure as to how or when they unravel.”

“You really are perfect, aren’t you, Kaashi?” Bokuto swore love was pouring out his very bones as he looked at Akaashi. 

“Nevermind that, why don’t we try to have a nap before my heat hits fully? It’s been a life-altering few hours and I think we need some sleep before the next few.”

“What happened to- um wanting to make out?” Bokuto tried to tease though he doesn’t think that the fact that Akaashi Keiji wants to makeout with him is something he should ever treat with jest. 

Akaashi smiled one of his soft smiles, “Plenty of time for that later, don’t you think?”

It struck Bokuto that they did have plenty of time, that they were together now, indefinitely. It made him beam. They climbed onto the bed gingerly, laying down with Akaashi in his arms made Bokuto realize that it hadn’t been that long since they had woken up. It had been life-altering hours for them. Hours he would cherish every day for the rest of their lives. To think that the last time Akaashi had been asleep in his arms was merely a few hours ago but so many things had changed for them since then and nothing would ever be the same again. Bokuto intertwined their fingers, placed a lingering kiss on the back of Akaashi’s neck, and breathed in his favorite scent of rosemary. Exhaustion started to seep out from each cell in their bodies. 

“I love you, Kaashi.”

“I love you too, Koutarou.”

They were both asleep within minutes. 

  
  


***

  
  


Akaashi’s heat had passed in a blur. Bokuto has vague memories of Akaashi clinging to him tight enough to cut off blood circulation. There had been a point when Bokuto Had woken up to Akaashi sleeping underneath the older’s shirt, his cheek pressed into Bokuto’s bare stomach.

Other than a rather embarrassing event of - almost but not quite - dry humping, that both of them vowed to never speak about ever again for the sake of their sanity, Akaashi told Bokuto that it was in fact a good heat. He had experienced arousal (re: the humping) but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Mostly, the omega just wanted to be in Bokuto’s arms. He wanted Bokuto’s hands and scent on him, around him, and vice versa. It was nice, they managed to get through it without feeling like they had compromised the pace of their relationship. That had been the main worry so when the whole heat fiasco had come to an end, they felt relief more than anything else. 

Since that day, their “bond” hasn’t given them any trouble, which was suspicious in the least. They’ve also been on five dates since that day. Five magical dates as Bokuto would say. 

They kiss now too. A lot. Their first one had been on their third date because Bokuto had chickened out on their first two. It was Bokuto’s turn to plan their date and he had planned a picnic. That day they took a walk around the park, ate lots of good food, talked about everything and nothing, and blew bubbles (yes, Bokuto had brought bubbles). Just when Akaashi had thought they were about to leave, Bokuot pulled out two more things from the picnic basket, chocolate-covered strawberries and a copy of Snow Country - because it was Akaashi’s favorite. The alpha had laid with his head in Akaashi’s lap as the omega read out loud to him, one hand tangled in his two-toned hair. Occasionally, Bokuto would feed the other a strawberry or ask a question, but mostly he just listened to Akaashi. They had ended up staying on that picnic blanket for hours and then suddenly the sun was setting.

On their third date, under the sun’s bleeding colors, Bokuto Koutarou kissed Akaashi Keiji for the very first time. He tasted like chocolate strawberries and forever. 

The first time they had ventured into something more mature had been completely spontaneous. It had caught Bokuto by such surprise he sometimes thinks he made the whole thing up in his head. Which wasn’t that far-fetched the whole experience had been something out of his fantasies.

They had been making out in Bokuto’s apartment after class one evening. The alpha wasn’t sure what happened, one minute they were watching some American movie he didn’t really understand on his bed, and then suddenly Akaashi was on his lap, and they were kissing fervently. It wasn’t their first makeout session, far from it. Hell, they had a makeout session the very night of their first kiss. Bokuto liked kissing and Akaashi indulged him, although Bokuto had realized that the omega enjoyed said kisses more than he was letting on when Akaashi kept leaving hickies on his neck. Usually, Bokuto would initiate their kisses though. So he was pleasantly surprised when Akaashi had closed his laptop and placed it on the floor midway through the movie just to makeout on a random Tuesday evening. And somehow things just escalated from there. Akaashi, being the absolute fiend that he is, started grinding down on top of the alpha and Bokuto didn’t even know he could get that hard that fast. Didn’t know that it was anatomically possible. 

“K-Kaashi- you- I-,” Bokuto was having a little trouble forming words. Akaashi quirked an eyebrow at the alpha and pushed his ass down  _ securely _ against the tent in Bokuto’s sweatpants. “Oh my god.”

“Having trouble there, Alpha?” Akaashi smirked, sliding his long fingers under Bokuto’s shirt to feel up the older’s chest for a second before pulling it off. “God, I can’t believe I finally get to touch you like this. Wanted to touch you for so long.”

“Me too! So long!” Bokuto assured him. Akaashi pulled off the shirt he was wearing too, throwing it haphazardly to the floor, and normally Bokuto would protest because that was his shirt and happened to really like it but right now he was slightly distracted by Akaashi’s bare chest. 

Bokuto knew that Akaashi’s nipples were sensitive because of the whole scent-marking incident but he swore that he didn’t really think about it when he leaned down and licked across the younger’s nipple and Akaashi moaned, loud and unabashed. Bokuto took that as a good sign so he took the small nub into his mouth, his other hand going to tweak the other nipple. Bokuto expected it to feel good for Akaashi, that’s why he did it. He didn’t expect that playing with the omega’s nipples was going to cause him to lose his goddamn mind. But it did. Akaashi started to squirm and bounce on his lap, moans tumbling out of him involuntarily. 

“So good, alpha! Make me feel so good with your tongue on my little nipples- Oh god, Koutarou, oh- oh, alpha, my good alpha!”

The thing is, if Bokuto let Akaashi talk anymore, he was going to cum in his pants like a sixteen-year-old. The praise of the omega was zinging through him and setting every nerve on fire. That’s why he simply had no other choice but to kiss him. It was the only option. Bokuto licked into Akaashi’s mouth, swallowing the omega’s hums of approval. He nibbled at Akaashi’s bottom lip and tried his best to keep up with him. But it seemed like Akaashi was possessed, Bokuto could smell his rosemary scent completely encompass him, could smell his arousal. Akaashi pulled back, climbing off Bokuto’s lap to space next to the alpha and working on sliding his pants off as he spoke, leaving him in his underwear. And Bokuto was losing brain cells.

“You're going to touch my cock,” Akaashi told him without room to disagree and Bokuto found himself nodding vigorously, “And you’re going to be so good at it, just know it. Such a good alpha, my best alpha, gonna make me cum so well.”

“Yes, baby, gonna make you feel so good,” Bokuto promised with a groan. Hovering over Akaashi and left a lingering soft kiss on the omega’s lips. He seated himself in between the omega’s legs, his hands on the outside of slender thighs as he leaned down to blow raspberries in the softness of Akaashi’s tummy. The omega shrieked with giggles before he swatted at the side of Bokuto’s head. 

“Stop it! You’re going to kill my boner,” Akaashi protested, though he couldn’t erase his smile.

“Sorry,” Bokuto said smiling brightly, pressing a kiss to the younger’s hipbone, “just couldn’t help myself.” 

The alpha’s fingers traced the edge of Akaashi’s underwear, but he didn’t seem like he was in a rush, which Akaashi wasn’t too keen on, hips bucking off the bed slightly, hands clenching at his sheets. Bokuto kissed his hipbone again, biting at it harshly, and before Akaashi could complain he sucked the skin hard. Maybe he liked leaving hickies just as much as Akaashi did. He trailed his mouth from the omega’s hip until he hovered above the bulge in his boxers. 

“Koutarou I swear to god, if you don’t do something right now, I’m never going to put your cock in my mouth for the rest of our lives together.”

Needless to say, Bokuto was more than motivated to make Akaashi cum quickly that first time. And that had been before he even knew what Akaashi’s blowjob skills were like. Now that he knew just how good Akaashi was at sucking cock he was practically Akaashi’s slave in the bedroom. Not that he minded. They had a  _ very _ healthy sex life. Akaashi was insatiable and Bokuto was a bit of a pervert when it came to the omega so they worked out more than fine in the end, more than fine. It was perfect. 

There was very little about their relationship that wasn't perfect, at least in Bokuto’s opinion. Akaashi would say that it’s still soon to make a statement like that. They weren’t even mated yet.

Right now they were sitting in the university cafeteria with their friends. Bokuto laid his head on the table, one of Akaashi’s hands was absentmindedly carding through his hair as they listened to Hinata go on about how he’s a seventh wheel, something he has been complaining about since he found out Bokuto and Akaashi had started dating. 

“Weren’t you the one that wanted them to date?” Tsukki drawled with an eye roll. 

“We all wanted them to date! Look at them! They’re so in love!” Hinata gestured to the pair in question wildly. 

“It’s true, we are in love,” Bokuto beamed. 

“We’re all in love, though,” Kuroo pointed out. 

“But are we though?” Kenma grumbled under his breath, chewing at his carrot sticks bitterly. 

“KITTEN!” Kuroo cried dramatically. 

“Aw c’mon Kenma, don't say that, you’ve hurt his feelings,” Bokuto pouted, reaching over to pat Kuroo’s arm supportively. 

“He’s only saying that because Kuroo-san took his game to make him eat,” Akaashi reminded them. 

Kenma’s lips curled into something unpleasant but he didn’t comment further. Kuroo wrapped his arms around the small boy anyway. 

“See what I’m saying! I can’t be a seventh wheel, it’s too depressing,” Hinata said, sagging unto the table. 

“So get a partner,” Tsukki said. 

“It’s not that easy!”

“Maybe not for you.”

“Hey!”

“Um, Akaashi-san?” Yamaguchi’s voice cut through the bickering two, he had been staring at something on the other side of the cafeteria. Bokuto followed his gaze and saw a group of rowdy-looking boys. “I think those guys over there are calling you.” 

Bokuto tensed as Akaashi turned slightly and saw that those boys were gesturing for him to come over, their facial expressions lewd. “Oh.”

When Akaashi stood up, Bokuto felt like crying. If only he had claimed Akaashi when he had the chance he wouldn’t have to lose him to a group of delinquents. The possessive part of him wanted to hike the omega over his shoulder and take somewhere private so that they could rectify the problem because according to everyone else Akaashi was still on the market. Most people respected those who smelt so strongly of another and stayed clear but there were those vile humans who were only truly deterred by a claim mark. 

Bokuto watched, Akaashi walk away from him, eyes falling to that immaculate ass. How was he supposed to say goodbye to that ass now that he’s experienced it in all its glory, he had so many plans for that ass and he was about to lose it - and the beautiful person attached to it - to some douchebags in his university cafeteria. It wasn’t until Bokuto glanced up from Akaashi’s ass that he saw that the omega was watching over his shoulder with a small smirk.

“Coming alpha?” 

Bokuto’s face burned red, Akaashi only called him that during their very private sexy times. He hadn’t expected the omega to say it so casually in front of their friends - although most of them didn’t seem to mind, Hinata clapped, Kuroo wolf-whistled, Tsukki rolled his eyes at the prior two and Yamaguchi blushed. Kenma was still looking forlornly at his carrots. 

“Um- Where are we going?” Bokuto asked, standing up to follow after his omega like the lost puppy he is. 

Akaashi turned on his heel to face the alpha and spoke loudly enough to draw some attention, mainly those misfit guys, “You’re going to claim me, bite me so that I will be your omega forever and all these idiots that hit on me will finally take the hint that  _ I am not interested in anyone that isn’t Bokuto Koutarou _ .”

It just so happened that Bokuto did hike his omega over his shoulder and carry him out of the cafeteria and across campus to fulfill his duty in making Akaashi’s declaration come true. After all, who was he to question Akaashi Keiji?

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> i hope u didn't hate it??? you should let me know if you liked it though, kudos and comments send a very positive message :)


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